Central Coast Double

[Veronica]

I finished.

[Trek420]

woo hoo :) :p :cool: :D :D :)

[maillotpois]

but of course :D ! how was it?? details, details!

[jobob]

BRILLIANT!!! :cool:

[snapdragen]

Yay V!:D :cool:

[aka_kim]

Tell us something new and interesting - you finishing a double is getting to be old news! :rolleyes:

Congrats!

[Starfish]

I finished.

You are on the hook for a report!! :)

[Veronica]

209.7 miles
13,200 ft. elev. gain
11,659 cal. burned

I went into this ride kind of nervous about whether or not I could complete it. I don't feel like I have trained enough hills and distance this year. Most of my rides have been one or the other, not both.

Central Coast is a great ride, very well supported, gorgeous scenery.

We left at 5:40 and were not required to have lights. I was riding with Homey from BJ. He stayed with me the whole day. It was great to have someone to talk to and we chatted about everything from training for RAAM to TE.

Once out of Paso Robles you start climbing. The first couple of climbs aren't bad. About twenty-five miles in you climb up Santa Rosa Creek Road. Just before the summit there is a section of 21%. I was thrilled that I was able to stay seated for the whole climb. The first rest stop was at the summit and I had my first Red Bull. The descent off Santa Rosa Creek is very twisty and bumpy. It was a blast!

Once you arrive out in Cambria, you ride up the coast for about 40 miles. This section of Rte. 1 starts off with long shallow rollers, but towards the end they became much steeper. The second rest stop was at Ragged Point. On one of the descents after this, we rolled through a swarm of bees. At this point I was riding with Homey and another guy named Ira. Fortunately none of us were stung.

The third rest stop was just before the climb up Nacimiento-Ferguson. I finally took off my jacket and buff, switched to short fingered gloves. This climb was a bear. The average grade for the 7.5 miles is 7%. But the bottom is much steeper than the top. The first two miles are in the 10 -12% range, the last two miles are 5 - 6 %.

My knees were kind of achy on this climb and I didn't work it nearly as hard as I could have. My average HR was only 162. Maybe I wasn't eating enough. I heard someone call this climb Nasty Mental Rd. It's true. It was nasty. Amazing views though to keep your mind occupied.

Another great descent after this climb. Then rollers to the lunch stop on the Hunter-Liggett Base. After lunch there is a nasty little climb, mostly in the sun. The downhill after it ends with a gate across the road that you lift your bike over.

We then turned into the wind for about 7 miles. My stomach was kind of bothering me now. I was happy when we turned out of the wind towards San Lucas. This section had a few little climbs, but was overall fairly flat. Just before the next climb, there was a water stop and I had another Red Bull. We climbed up a rather narrow canyon. I just about jumped out of skin when we heard a gun go off. The horses on the side of the road didn't much like it either.

At the next rest stop, Lockwood, I picked up my light battery. It was 6:20. We had a fairly flat, fast section and then some big rollers. We saw some wild pigs, followed within minutes by wild turkeys. And then we saw some wild cows. :)

This section was hard. The headwind had picked up and the climbs got harder again. Jesse left drinks for us at the top of the last big climb. I think I should get stock in Red Bull. I got really cold on the first big descent, shivering uncontrollably. At the stop sign at the bottom I put on my last jacket and my buff. That helped a lot. We descended a lot more and then headed across a mesa towards 101. It was so windy up here. I thought I was going to lose a contact. I got into Homey's draft and stayed there until the next rest stop at Bradley.

Just as we were about to roll into Bradley, my headlight conked out. Thom was there and it crossed my mind, that gee with no light I couldn't go on. It was promptly followed by the thought that there were only 30 more miles. I had two other people offer me a light. Thom checked it and it was just that the connector was loose.

After Bradley there was a five mile climb with 2 - 3% & grade. This was followed by downward tending rollers to the finish. I don't know if it was the last Red Bull I had, the tailwind we now had, or just wanting to be done, but I was hauling through this section. It was great to finish feeling strong, especially since I had felt kind of icky for the middle third.

This ride showed me that I am not ready for Terrible Two - an extreme double. I won't be able to make the cut off. But I realized that, yes I really am capable of completing these hard doubles.

Thom took a lot of pictures and I'll post some later. I need to go eat again.

V.

[yellow]

Great report, V. Sounds like a great ride. You are a superstar!!! :D

[maillotpois]

great report! I can't wait to see pictures!!

this ride is definitely on the list for next year...

[Starfish]

Yep, great report! You are mentally tough.

[jobob]

Way to go ! :cool:

[SadieKate]

Determination is your middle name. :D Congratulations once again.

Isn't Homey just a great guy?

[Veronica]

Isn't Homey just a great guy?


Oh my god! He is so funny, nice, helpful, etc., etc. Poor guy, every time we pulled into a rest stop people were giving him a hard time about how late he was.

V.

[Trekhawk]

Oh my god! He is so funny, nice, helpful, etc., etc. Poor guy, every time we pulled into a rest stop people were giving him a hard time about how late he was.

V.

Congratulations V!!

Your friend sounds like a lovely guy.:)

[Veronica]

http://www.tandemhearts.com/coppermine/albums/central-coast-double-2007/ccd-2007-002.JPG

Homey and I at the start of the ride.

http://www.tandemhearts.com/coppermine/albums/central-coast-double-2007/ccd-2007-007.JPG

On Route 1.

http://www.tandemhearts.com/coppermine/albums/central-coast-double-2007/ccd-2007-015.JPG

Poppies!

http://www.tandemhearts.com/coppermine/albums/central-coast-double-2007/ccd-2007-020.JPG

The view from about two miles up NastyMental, err Nacimiento Rd.

http://www.tandemhearts.com/coppermine/albums/central-coast-double-2007/ccd-2007-024.JPG

What 179 miles of biking will do to you...

There are several more photos on our website. We haven't put a link on the homepage yet so use this one.

http://www.tandemhearts.com/coppermine/displayimage.php?album=25&pos=17

V.

[SadieKate]

Oh! I finally got the Nasty Mental joke. It's Lake Nacimiento (you're missing an i after the m). For someone who grew up with clearly enunciated Spanish, I couldn't figure out the joke. :rolleyes: That's actually pretty good.

So Homey finally found some wildflowers, huh? That gorgeous country.

PS - just ask me how my classmates laughed at our patio, shopping on the Esplanade, and having a Xmas poinsettia. Being from NM, we didn't pronounce them like the average 'Murcan.

[Veronica]

Thanks. I fixed the spelling. :p

I can't take credit for NastyMental. It was someone working the Morgan Territory rest stop for DMD that I got it from.

V.

[DarcyInOregon]

Veronica, I think your ride is an amazing accomplishment.

Can I ask, how many years did it take you to reach this goal? I ask because a double century is my long-term goal and I am wondering how long it takes to reach that level of fitness.

Also, awesome photos. You have that cyclist's grin, a happy smile that most cyclist's have when they are out biking.

Darcy

[Veronica]

I already had a pretty good fitness base when I decided I wanted to do doubles. I had been doing centuries and double metrics for a few years so I was able to do my first double last year with only four months of serious training. That was one of the "easy" doubles though and I naturally want to do the extreme doubles. :D

V.

[jobob]

That was one of the "easy" doubles though and I naturally want to do the extreme doubles. :D

V.

Oh, sez hoo?!! :eek: Even the CA Triple Crown website ranks this one as "Extremely High" difficulty. So there. neener.

Yeah, yeah, I know, you're aiming for the "Radically High" difficulty ones. :rolleyes:

Got any plans for the weekend of Oct 20? If you say it's too easy I'm gonna have to slap you upside the head, though ... :D

[maillotpois]

Wow - great photos!

And yes, I grew up there but I finally got it - Nasty Mental!! That's funny. :D

[aka_kim]

Great report and pics!

21 percent grades? - shouldn't they be outlawed or something? Really. And 7 percent for 7.5 miles (or v.v.) just makes my hips ache.

Well done!!!

[Deanna]

Congratulations Veronica! That road up the hill is amazing! This does NOT sound like an "easy" double. I didn't know there was such a thing.

[maillotpois]

I think she meant her first double (Spring Solvang) was easy. This one is listed as "extremely high" - easier than Tam (which she did last year) and tougher than Solvang spring, Davis, etc.

[Deanna]

Thanks for clarifying. Though I think "easy double" is an oxymoron of sorts.

[Veronica]

You'll notice I put easy in quotation marks. :)

I have to say I think Tam was a bit easier than Central Coast. Maybe it was the wind. Maybe it's the extra 9 pounds I'm carrying. Maybe I've just blocked out feeling crummy at all on Tam.

V.

[maillotpois]

Well, you'd also ridden a lot of the Tam course in the weeks leading up to the event. I think that helps a lot.

[Veronica]

Oh Jo, Solvang Fall is on my calendar. That's a cool birthday present to give yourself.

V.

[Starfish]

Ooooh...such beautiful country. GREAT pics!

[jobob]

Oh Jo, Solvang Fall is on my calendar. That's a cool birthday present to give yourself.

V.

Oh, most excellent ! :cool:

[Veronica]

The final version of my write up is posted on our website now. You guys got the first draft. :)

V.